Chapter One: The Deadliest Poison in the World

Dragon Nation, summit of the Poison Mountain.

“Old devil! You’ve tormented me for five whole years. If you have the guts, kill me with a single stroke! Don’t let me catch an opportunity, or I’ll make sure to cut you into pieces!”

In front of a wooden cabin at the mountain’s peak, Ye Chen had his pressure points sealed and was bound to a large tree, looking utterly disheveled. Before him stood a small table covered with various jars and bottles.

An elder in a black Daoist robe, his face twisted in a sinister grin, was tinkering with the contents of the jars.

“You little brat, I’ve used you as my poison test subject for five years and you still haven’t died. Today is the last time. If you survive, whether I live or die will be yours to decide!”

The old man mumbled as he adjusted his concoctions.

“Plutonium, one of the world’s rarest metals—just a gram can kill a hundred billion people. I’ll give you ten grams! Let’s see if you can survive this!”

“Two grams of English aconite is enough to burn through your organs, and I’m using a hundred grams!”

“And there’s more—King Cobra venom…”

As he spoke, the old man mixed ten of the most lethal poisons in the world into a single bowl.

Ye Chen’s face turned ashen. The poisons the old devil had fed him over the past five years were nothing compared to what he was facing now.

Every time before, the old devil would teach him a method to neutralize the poison after making him ingest it.

For five years, Ye Chen had escaped death by a hair’s breadth each time, and, in the process, mastered the old devil’s uncanny medical skills.

But this time, it was clear the crazed old man was determined to kill him.

The old devil let out a chilling laugh, carrying a bowl of pitch-black, bubbling poison toward Ye Chen.

“Boy, even I can’t detoxify this one. Don’t expect me to teach you how to survive it!”

Faced with death, Ye Chen remained calm—not because he didn’t fear death, but because he had faced it so many times that the terror had dulled to numbness.

Only one regret weighed on him: his mother.

In his heart, Ye Chen silently said, “Mother, for your kindness in raising me, I can only repay you in the next life…”

Soon, a bowl of black liquid, thick as crude oil and bubbling, was brought to Ye Chen’s lips. The acrid, nauseating stench made his brow furrow and his nose wrinkle.

“Die!” The old devil forced open Ye Chen’s mouth without a hint of emotion and poured the poison down his throat.

“Aaah…” Ye Chen screamed in agony, feeling his organs scorched from within.

His heart stabbed with pain, his breath grew weak, and his consciousness began to fade…

Am I dying…?

In that moment, images of his mother and sister flashed through Ye Chen’s mind.

Five years ago, on the eve of the college entrance exams, Ye Chen had acted bravely to save a girl after a late self-study session.

But in doing so, he offended Wang Hai, a wealthy heir from Qing City.

Wang Hai sent men to beat Ye Chen mercilessly. If the old devil hadn’t appeared in time and saved him, Ye Chen would have died that very night.

Yet, this rescue marked the beginning of another nightmare.

At least today, it was finally over.

As Ye Chen bled from his seven orifices, the old devil looked on, a rare trace of pain flickering across his cold expression.

At Ye Chen’s final moments, the old man said in a deep voice, “Ye Chen, my earthly lifespan ends today. If you can break this poison, you will surpass me and gain decades more life in this world!”

“But if you are fated to die, I will take you with me to the next world!”

What did that mean?

Was the old man not human?

Despite the agony wracking his body and soul, Ye Chen was shocked and puzzled by these words.

Suddenly, a warm current surged from within, flowing through Ye Chen’s limbs and bones.

His mind raced through all the martial, medical, and mystical knowledge he had learned from the old devil.

All paths converged!

At that moment, every acupoint in his body pulsed, a powerful inner force dispersing the poison within.

Ye Chen’s throat convulsed, and he vomited all the poisonous liquid onto a stone at his feet.

The stone instantly dissolved under the venom.

The old devil’s face changed dramatically. “Ye Chen, you—” he exclaimed.

Before he could finish, Ye Chen threw back his head and roared in fury.

The entire Poison Mountain seemed to tremble!

With bloodshot eyes, Ye Chen glared at the old devil.

“Old fiend, you used me as your test subject for five years. Today, I’ll make you pay in blood!”

He threw a punch at the old devil, the force of it making the branches around them shudder.

But the old devil neither dodged nor blocked. Instead, he smiled and praised Ye Chen.

“Good! Very good! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. You truly are gifted!”

Ye Chen was consumed by hate and ignored the old man’s words.

But as his fist struck, it passed straight through the old devil’s body.

“Ye Chen, we shall meet again!”

With those words, the old devil’s body vanished into thin air.

Ye Chen stood there, stunned.

Was that old man truly not human?

He stood there for a long while, unable to make sense of it.

Unable to understand, he decided not to dwell on it.

Having narrowly escaped death so many times, both his body and mind had undergone profound changes, especially his medical skills.

Now, with his abilities, he could bring the dead back to life with ease.

What he wanted most now was to go home!

He hadn’t seen his mother and sister in five years. How were they now? Were they doing well?

Ye Chen walked to the old devil’s thatched hut and set it ablaze, burning away the last five years of nightmares.

Then, turning his back on the roaring flames, he headed down the mountain.

Soon, Ye Chen reached the mountain’s exit, where over a dozen Mercedes G-Class SUVs were lined up along the muddy road.

Dozens of men in black suits stood on either side of the exit.

Ye Chen found this odd.

At their head stood a woman in a professional skirt suit, her long legs and striking beauty framed by an icy demeanor.

Seeing Ye Chen, she approached courteously. “Hello, I’d like to ask if the Ghost Doctor could save my grandfather—”

Ye Chen cut her off. “You’re too late. That old man is already dead.”

“What? Dead?”

Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes.

She wiped her tears, about to question Ye Chen further, but he had already vanished.

“Where did he go?” she demanded of her subordinates.

They all shook their heads, equally baffled.

“Find him! We must find him! That man came from Poison Mountain—he must have a deep connection with the Ghost Doctor!”

“This place is remote, with only one airport and one train station. If he wants to leave, he’ll have to use public transport. Get ahead of him and intercept him! He must treat my grandfather!”

“Yes, Miss!” All of them rushed to their cars and sped away.

Once they were gone, Ye Chen slipped out from a patch of tall grass.

“Life and death are fate—what has that to do with me?”